


Take All of Me

by gothwoozi



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Anal Fingering, Blow Jobs, Cop!Chan, Lap Dances, M/M, Mentions of Violence, Mentions of drugs, Pole Dancing, Protectiveness, Tags May Change, Top Lee Jihoon | Woozi, mafia, mentions of guns, smut in chapter 6
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-12 13:19:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17468342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothwoozi/pseuds/gothwoozi
Summary: Like most people in Jeon territory, Soonyoung works to pay off his family's debts. Due to his skill set, he just happens to be an exotic dancer - a title he hates with apathetic acceptance. One day, his childhood friend appears as a customer at his club. After 8 years of thinking Jihoon may be dead, Soonyoung has plenty of questions that need answers.orThe mafia AU in which Soonyoung is a stripper and Jihoon is the son of a mob boss





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i got quite a few requests for a mafia au so here it is!
> 
> im gonna try to do a thing where a switch perspectives between soonhoon. sorry this chapter is a bit short! i thought it would work best that way for style purposes. get the background knowledge of this fic out of the way. 
> 
> jihoon will be introduced next chapter!

“Here’s your cut.”

Wonwoo, the club’s security guard, hands Soonyoung a bundle of cash as he comes out of the dressing room in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. It’s 3 o’clock in the morning, and the former just ushered the last drunkard out of the dimly lit club. Where the man may go, Soonyoung has no idea, but he doesn’t particularly care either.  In fact, he harbors a distinct disdain for their clientele which is usually middle-aged married and closeted men who don’t know how to keep their hands to themselves. 

“Thanks,” Soonyoung utters, taking the cash from Wonwoo’s hand. As he carefully counts it, he realizes it’s nowhere near what his week’s earnings should be. He glares at Wonwoo and hisses, “There are 500 dollars missing.”

Heavily, Wonwoo lets out a sigh, shutting off all the strobe lights and stereo systems for the night. 

“You  _ know _ I had nothing to do with that, so why are you mad at me?” he mumbles. And, he’s right. Soonyoung knows he’s innocent. The manager of the club simply trusts Wonwoo to give Soonyoung his cut. Furthermore, Soonyoung considers Wonwoo to be a friend. He’s certainly gotten Soonyoung out of some tight situations with some undesirable customers. 

Actually, Soonyoung is pretty sure as to why he’s missing the money. 

“Dad probably gambled again,” Soonyoung groans, tucking the cash into his backpack. Obviously, Soonyoung didn’t realize this as a child, but his dad has been in debt to the mafia for over 20 years. Soonyoung brings in about 500 dollars a night, yet that all seems to go into the Jeons’ pockets. Whether it’s actually paying off his dad’s debts, he’s not sure. 

Either way, it’s the only reason he works at this damn strip club. 

Sometimes, he wonders what it would be like to have a normal family who is subjugated to the mob – one that might play board games together instead of killing and stripping. 

“They really should stop letting him into the casino,” Wonwoo mentions. Soonyoung knows which one he’s talking about. It’s only 3 blocks away from the club, and it’s owned by none other than the Jeons themselves. This district is strictly Jeon territory. There are other mafia families in Seoul, but Soonyoung doesn’t particularly care about any of them. 

He’s just focused on helping his dad pay off his debts to the Jeons. 

Then, he can leave Jeon territory forever. 

“And give him a fighting chance to pay off his debts?” Soonyoung scoffs, rolling his eyes. “No way. That’s how they enslave poor stupid sons-of-bitches to do their bidding. A desperate man will shoot anybody you tell them to.”

It’s tensely silent for a moment. Wonwoo is a distant cousin of the Jeon family. Though, Soonyoung can’t really blame Wonwoo for his family’s own actions. He can’t even blame Wonwoo for guarding the Jeons’ strip club. Wonwoo has probably been conditioned to be a mafia thug his entire life. 

Finally, Soonyoung breaks the silence when he realizes they are the only two people in the club. Meaning,  _ his ride isn’t there _ . 

“Where did Vernon go?” he asks. 

Vernon is the kid who bartends. Soonyoung thinks he’s much too young to be selling drinkings at a nudie bar, but he supposes it doesn’t really matter. The Jeons aren't very keen on following laws. 

“Vernon left early. He said he had a migraine,” Wonwoo explains, locking up all of the entrances. 

Standing in the middle of the club, Soonyoung can smell nothing but cigarette smoke, cheap beer, and sweat. There’s a stain on the red carpeting that looks suspiciously like the one body fluid Soonyoung really wishes it wasn’t.  _ God, he hates this place.  _

“I guess I’ll walk home then,” Soonyoung sighs in exhaustion. He really just wants to get home and pass out in his bed. 

“In this neighborhood?!” Wonwoo exclaims, staring at Soonyoung as if he’s grown a second head. “No. Absolutely not. I’ll drive you home.”

“Isn’t Mingyu waiting for you at home?” Soonyoung asks, shoving his hands bashfully into the pockets of his hoodie. It’s a total contrast to his dancing persona,  _ Hoshi _ , that men would usually pay up to a hundred dollars to get a private lap dance from. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

“He’d understand. Besides, I’d sleep a lot better tonight knowing that you weren’t mugged or murdered,” the other clarifies gently. 

“I suppose that’s alright.”

 

*******

 

Silently, they pull up to Soonyoung’s apartment complex. He’s so glad that he lives on the first floor, because he’s too exhausted to even  _ think  _ of climbing any stairs right now. 

As Wonwoo puts in the car into park, a look washes over his face as if he just remembered something. 

“Do you still have my DVD?” he questions.

Soonyoung can understand why Wonwoo would ask, because it’s the most opportune time to. But,  _ he’s so tired _ . Almost too tired to answer Wonwoo’s question. 

“Yeah,” Soonyoung mumbles, eyes growing heavier by the second. Though, he supposes he might as well return it, so he doesn’t have to worry about it later. “Wanna come in and get it?”

Wonwoo hums in assent, and Soonyoung exhales. He was kinda hoping Wonwoo would say nothing. 

Silently, they walk up to Soonyoung’s door, and he unlocks it, letting them both in. The cheap heater welcomes Soonyoung and invites him to come out of the cold January air. Even though it has a smoky burning smell, Soonyoung can’t help but be grateful for it. 

“Wait in here,” Soonyoung instructs, turning on the light to his living room. He sets his keys down on the coffee table as he goes into his bedroom. For a minute, he searches for Wonwoo’s DVD among his pile of junk. 

When he comes back out, Wonwoo is holding a picture that was on his bookshelf. By the frame, Soonyoung knows which one it is. 

Calmly, he walks over with Wonwoo’s DVD. 

“Is this you in middle school?” Wonwoo asks with a wide grin on his face. Sure enough, when Wonwoo holds the frame out to show Soonyoung, it’s the photo he thought it was. He points to the other person in the photo. “A friend from school?”

For a moment, Soonyoung just stares at the photo, thinking of  _ Lee Jihoon _ . They’re both 14 years old in the photo. Beaming with joy, a young Soonyoung leans over his shy friend’s shoulder and gives out a peace sign. Sheepishly, Jihoon does the same thing, smiling like he would when he was embarrassed or bashful. The other’s face was bright pink. They are both wearing the same school uniform. 

It’s from a time before Soonyoung lost both his baby-fat and his optimism. 

“Yeah,” Soonyoung answers wistfully, deeply missing his friend. The day that photo was taken was the last day Soonyoung ever saw Jihoon again. It was the last day of middle school. He and Jihoon were supposed to attend the same high school, but the other just… never showed up. 

As far Soonyoung knows, Jihoon is dead. In this district, it wouldn’t be a far-fetched thought. 

This idea used to cut Soonyoung deep inside. He knew Jihoon since they first started grade school together. Until the other suddenly disappeared, Soonyoung had no friend closer to him or his heart. 

“He must be really special that you’ve kept this photo all these years,” Wonwoo comments, placing it back on the shelf in its rightful place. 

“He was,” Soonyoung rasps, feeling hot tears welling up. It’s been 8 years. He was  _ not _ going to cry over this again. 

Immediately, Wonwoo notices the change in tone. Realizing he may have struck a nerve, he clears his throat and tries to change the subject. 

“Did you like the movie?” he asks, gesturing to the DVD case in Soonyoung’s hand and breaking the other out of his stupor. 

“Not really,” Soonyoung deadpans, handing it over to its owner. “It was a little too cliche for my tastes.”

“Don’t like romance movies?” the other teases. 

Soonyoung meets Wonwoo’s gaze with his own piercing one. 

“I’m a stripper,” he says very matter-of-factly. “Romance isn’t really something that I get to have.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since im at uni rn, im going to do updates as they come to me, so chapters may be a bit short for this one.

“Really, Seungcheol? A strip club?”

As the two sit in their car in the dark parking lot, Jihoon can hear the bass pounding from the windowless building. A group of obviously drunk men pours out of the large steel door, releasing some fog and multicolored lights with them. The flashing neon sign above the establishment reads “Honey’s” and “XXX” and (Jihoon’s personal favorite) “Nude Boys.”

Who Honey is, Jihoon has no earthly idea. In fact, it’s completely bewildering to him as to why his bodyguard, Seungcheol, would bring him to a strip club at all.

“Why are we here?” Jihoon pesters, grimacing as he watches the two bouncers talking to the men.

 _Probably trying to get them to leave_ , Jihoon thinks.

“I already told you,” Seungcheol states matter-of-factly as he puts a fresh clip in his handgun. Jihoon takes that as his cue to do the same. “The Jeons own this place. Think of this as a reconnaissance mission.”

“Won’t anybody recognize us?” Jihoon asks, tucking his gun into the waistband of his slacks.

“As far as we know, nobody even knows you exist, Jihoon,” he clarifies, waving the other off as he exits. Hesitantly, Jihoon follows, abandoning the comfort of the passenger seat. Seungcheol turns to the other, catching his eye. “And, as far as they know, we are just two businessmen out for a night on the town.”

“Whatever you say, man,” Jihoon snorts, repositioning the jacket of his suit so it conceals the black Glock against his white button-up shirt.

“Who knows…” Seungcheol wonders out loud, smirking playfully. “You might actually have fun for once in your life.”

 _My life was fun_ , Jihoon thinks to himself, holding his tongue. _8 years ago._

Coolly, they walk up to the door, offering one of the bouncers their 40 dollars to get in. As he forks over his hard-earned cash, Jihoon sneers a little bit. To him, strip clubs were always a scam. There was no man on this planet that could be worth this much money.

When they enter the club, Jihoon instantly notices the stench of sweat, alcohol, and vomit. A man in a Playboy bunny outfit walks by, balancing a tray of drinks on his right-hand. He smirks at both Jihoon and Seungcheol but continues on his way. Jihoon watches him as he approaches a group of middle-aged businessmen who are all hooting and hollering at the other scantily clad men as they walk past. Like desperate drunken fools, they make grabby hands at the dancers, trying to cop a feel.

To Jihoon, it’s disgusting to watch.

“I hear rumours there’s one dancer who’s directly connected to the Jeons,” Seungcheol utters, standing confidently as he surveys the place for any threats. When he determines it safe, he tucks both his hands in his pockets and saunters off to some pink vinyl armchairs a little bit closer to the main stage – the runway. “His stage name is _Hoshi,_ but I couldn’t find any more info on the guy.”

“What are we gonna try and do? Get a lapdance from him?” Jihoon asks incredulously, taking a seat next to Seungcheol. A dancer comes by and asks them if they want anything to drink. Seungcheol orders a shot of vodka for the both of them.

“According to my sources, _Hoshi_ gives private dances. I was thinking one of us could try and ask him some questions.”

“Yeah, _you_ can do that,” Jihoon huffs. The dancer comes back with two shot glasses. Jihoon gratefully accepts his and knocks it back. “This was _your_ idea after all. I’m not being tricked into this scam.”

Rather than responding, Seungcheol turns to the dancer.

“Is _Hoshi_ here?” he questions, taking his shot glass as well.

“I should’ve known you were here for _Hoshi,_ ” he chuckles. Both of them quirks their heads at the man. _Did he know something about them_ ? Quickly, he clarifies. “I just mean, _Hoshi_ is super popular, especially among of men your caliber.”

He gestures to Jihoon and Seungcheol’s expensive suits and watches.

“He’s here,” the man continues, looking at the clock above the bar. “In fact, he’s supposed to perform in about five minutes.”

Seungcheol thanks the man for his information, offering him their due amount for the drinks as well as a 20 dollar tip (that he tucks into the man’s g-string).

As the man walks away, swishing his hips noticeably, Jihoon stares at Seungcheol incredulously for a good 30 seconds.

“What?” Seungcheol finally snaps. “He was _cute,_ and he gave us good information.”

Instead of responding, Jihoon just hums sarcastically. He glances around the club, thinking about how he grew up in this district. Any one of these dancers could be somebody he went to school with. Considering how far the Jeons’ power reaches, it wouldn’t be that far-fetched of a thought.

Impatiently, Jihoon twitches in his seat, just wanting to leave this place. Lee territory wasn’t great, but the Jeons have an insidious way of maintaining full control over their territory.

Then, the track switches. It’s a slow R&B song with lyrics that are obviously about _fucking_. Suddenly, two spotlights focus on the catwalk.

“Gentlemen (and maybe a few ladies),” the DJ announces from his box offstage. “It’s the man you’ve been waiting for all night! As fierce as a tiger and as bright as a star! _Hoshi!_ ”

All the men crowd around the catwalk, cheering and hollering loudly. From backstage, a man with black hair and an undercut strolls out, swinging a red-feather boa. Jihoon can’t see his face very well as he’s too far away, but he can see his attire very well. Every man in this club can.

He’s wearing a black corset, accompanied by black satin women’s underwear, a leather choker with a silver ring on it, fishnet stockings, and glittery red stilettos.

Slowly, he swings his hips as he saunters down the catwalk, attracting the entire clubs attention to him. He’s really not doing much, but he’s so mesmerizing to watch. His lustful expression is almost hypnotic.

At the middle of the catwalk, he stops in front of a group of men, presumably because he spotted their gold watches. He whispers something in one of their ears. Immediately, the guy shoves a 50 dollar bill in Hoshi’s satin panties. Hoshi unties his corset, handing it to the man.

Disgusted, Jihoon notices the guy sniff the corset out of the corner of his eye.

Jihoon can’t help but notice how soft and smooth Hoshi’s skin looks. In the back of his mind, he thinks about how skin like that is just _begging_ to be marked.

Along with the perky pink nipples every man loves in a cute little twink, Jihoon can totally see why Hoshi is so popular… why these men are so whipped as to give Hoshi 50 dollars just for his corset.

The closer Hoshi gets, the more familiar he seems. Jihoon _swears_ he’s seen this face before.

Once again, Hoshi stops in front of another group of men. His back is turned to Jihoon, so the aforementioned can only stare headlong at the man’s ass. It’s a little perky, cute thing… almost like a peach. As he stares at this man’s backside, he notices the smaller details like Hoshi’s large silver hoop earrings and his fishnet gloves.

Slowly, Hoshi squats down to the floor, legs spread wide in front of the group of men. Jihoon can only imagine the show they’re seeing right now. He’s almost a little bit jealous, because he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t the least bit turned on right now.

A couple of the men tuck their money into Hoshi’s panties, taking any chance they can to touch the dancer.

“God, I’d give my left nut to fuck him,” one of the drunken patrons slurs a couple seats away from Jihoon’s. His friends groan in agreement, perking up as Hoshi draws closer to their spot on the catwalk.

As the ever-so-desirable Hoshi nears, his face becomes more clear to Jihoon. The features are indefinitely familiar to him. This is the friend that he spent an infinite amount of hours with when they were too young to even know what sex was. Momentarily, Jihoon finds himself unable to breathe.

 _Soonyoung_.

The surprise keeps him from being able to move an inch, even as his old friend comes closer and closer.

Then, Soonyoung stops in front of the group of men who were speaking about him moments ago. Scornfully, Jihoon watches as the men animatedly shout their explicit desires at Soonyoung and paw at his uncovered thighs. One of the more drunk ones reaches for the ring around Soonyoung’s choker, tugging it roughly.

Jihoon swears he can feel his blood boil.

Instinctively, he reaches for his weapon but immediately realizes better of it when one of the security guards – a large man with dark hair –  escorts the man away from the stage, sharing a look with Soonyoung.

Forgetting the man, Soonyoung continues his way down the stage to the silver pole at the end. Jihoon had found _Hoshi_ incredibly attractive, but he feels conflicted now that he knows who _Hoshi_ truly is. To be hard right now felt like a betrayal to all the innocent childhood memories he once shared with the other.

“Who is gonna be the lucky guy to win a private lap-dance from Hoshi?!” the DJ exclaims as the mentioned dancer grinds against the pole, wrapping his legs completely around it and hanging upside down in the air.

Jihoon can see his face more clearly now. His face is caked in foundation, and his lips are ruby red with lip tint. Behind all the dark eye-makeup, Jihoon can see the sharp cat-like eyes he had grown very accustomed to as a child. But, the expression in them was completely unfamiliar to Jihoon. It was supposed to be lust, but something in Jihoon told him it was a farce… an act.

Something Soonyoung put on for the crowds, just like his lingerie and makeup.

Suddenly, men crowd around the pole, tearing through each other to give their largest amount of money to Soonyoung.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jihoon sees Seungcheol begin to stand-up from his seat.

“Wait,” Jihoon commands with a low voice, placing his hand on Seungcheol’s chest to signal the other to sit back down. “I’ll do it. Give me the cash.”

Seungcheol quirks his eyebrows.

“I thought this was all a scam?” Seungcheol teases. “Or has Hoshi won your cold heart over?”

Jihoon stays deathly silent for a moment, watching all the men over there pull at Soonyoung’s underwear as they slip their money in, undoubtedly hoping they would come off. It makes him sick to watch. It makes him sick the way these men view Soonyoung, someone who Jihoon has always seen as a best friend, as just another body to fuck.

“Give me the money,” Jihoon demands once again, leering at Seungcheol with serious eyes. It’s an expression Seungcheol is all too familiar with. Ever since the Lee family has brought Jihoon in, he’s been known to have a temper that very few are willing to trifle with. Jihoon does what he wants, when he wants. And, he dares anyone to tell him otherwise.

Seungcheol reaches into his pocket, handing over 500 dollars.

“Go get him, tiger,” Seungcheol jokes. When Jihoon immediately turns and walks away, Seungcheol mutters to himself, “That boy is gonna be a great head of the family one day.”

Calmly shoving through the crowd, Jihoon approaches the pole.

“Hey, jerk!” one of the men calls. “I was here first.”

Jihoon flips him off.

Breaking through the large mass of men, Jihoon finally finds himself standing in front of Soonyoung. As soon as the other locks eyes with him, he freezes, instantly recognizing Jihoon just as Jihoon recognized him. He opens and closes his mouth like a bewildered fish out of water.

Mouth tightened into a straight-line, Jihoon hands over the money, rather than trying to stuff it into Soonyoung’s underwear. He doesn’t think he could, because all he can think about is how he used to trade Pokemon cards with this man.

It comes to Jihoon’s attention that the entire club is staring at him, because he got Soonyoung to stop dancing. With his mouth gaping, Soonyoung counts the cash.

“Is it a winner?” the DJ asks.

He turns his head to the DJ’s box, nodding silently. All the men groan in disappointment as they disperse. Several of them bump Jihoon’s shoulder, while another one talks loudly about “catching Jihoon in the parking lot.”

Both Jihoon and Seungcheol chuckle to themselves, knowing the guy wouldn’t stand a chance. Jihoon was a born fighter.

“Jihoon…” Soonyoung finally utters, searching the other’s face to make _sure_ it’s who he thinks it is… to make sure this isn’t a hallucination. Jihoon can’t help but think how good it feels to hear that voice again.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave kudos/comments


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope everyone is enjoying this fic! bc it's by far one of my favorites to write (as u can tell by the frequent updates)

“Just have a seat in here, sir,” the security guard from before says, gesturing through an open door to the empty back room. He watches Jihoon with a wary eye as if he might be a threat. It makes Jihoon want to scoff, but he restrains himself.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, stepping forward into the room. Momentarily, he’s stopped by the guard, as he lightly grabs Jihoon’s bicep. It’s not a hostile gesture, but rather one of warning. 

Jihoon can see that same foreboding in the man’s gaze.

“I don’t know who you are or why you are here, but I’ll be standing outside this door at all times,” he reminds Jihoon, pushing the jacket of his uniform back to reveal the pistol at his hip. 

Jihoon doesn’t even break a sweat. He has no ill intentions. Even if he did, he could shoot this guy down before he even reached for his gun. 

“Duly noted,” he deadpans, shaking the man’s grasp off as he walks into the room. 

The first thing Jihoon notices is how it reeks of cigar smoke. The only light is from a red bulb in the ceiling fixture. All the walls are paneled with wood. The floor has red shag carpeting. There’s only one piece of furniture –  a leather couch with what seems to be a few bullet-holes. 

Assuming it the proper thing to do, Jihoon sits down on this couch, staring at the wall in front of him. There’s a door on the right-hand side of the wall with a shining gold star that says “Dressing Room; Employees Only.” 

_ Soonyoung is behind that door _ , Jihoon repeats in his head over and over again. 

This evening is starting to feel more and more like a fever dream by the second. Not only is Soonyoung a stripper, but he’s a stripper for the  _ Jeons’ club _ . There were so many territory issues happening here that Jihoon doesn’t know how to process them all. Most of them aren’t even business issues, just emotional ones. 

Then, music starts playing. Jihoon has no idea where it’s coming from. Like the music pounding outside, it’s yet another slow R&B song. But, it feels different… Maybe, it’s Jihoon’s own delusion, but this song feels more personal... like something you would play during sex with a lover.

As soon as that door opens, Jihoon’s heart stops. Soonyoung is standing in front of him with a satin corset, but this time it’s pink. He has satin underwear to match, along with black stilettos white stockings that come all the way up to his upper thigh. At the end of Soonyoung’s stockings, there’s a little pink bow. He’s wearing little white bunny ears, and Jihoon’s pretty sure if he could see Soonyoung’s ass, there would be a little white tail to match. 

Jihoon has no words for how this is affecting him. Though, according to the tightening in the crotch of his slacks, it’s obviously a positive effect. 

“Wanna tell me where you’ve been for the past 8 years, Jihoon?” Soonyoung hums, as he approaches Jihoon’s spot on the couch. All Jihoon can focus on is the  _ way Soonyoung’s legs look when they move _ . In the back of his mind, he wonders what those legs would look like wrapped around his waist. 

“Where have  _ you  _ been for the past 8 years?” Jihoon immediately shoots back, avoiding the question. It’s best that Soonyoung doesn’t know who Jihoon actually is. That would just cause more issues in the future. Soonyoung places both his hands on his hips, standing in firm stance as he squints at Jihoon. “Because, I  _ definitely  _ do not remember this outfit.”

Soonyoung doesn’t answer. Rather, he just takes a seat in Jihoon’s lap. He doesn’t even flinch as he stares directly into Jihoon’s eyes. They’re only a couple of centimeters apart, and Jihoon thinks his soul might actually leave his body if Soonyoung even moved his body in the slightest. In fact, he’s not sure what he should do with his hands. 

Though, Soonyoung isn’t as unsure. He wraps his arms around the back of Jihoon’s neck and positions himself so their crotches are just barely touching. Then, Soonyoung starts grinding and rocking his hips along with the rhythm of the music.

Jihoon’s ears go bright red, even though he’d never admit it. 

“I thought you were dead, Jihoon,” Soonyoung speaks very softly with no particular affliction in his voice, but his expression portrays a different story. His tearful gaze pierces into Jihoon’s heart, making it flood with guilt. It wasn’t his choice to leave, but he feels as if he should’ve  _ tried harder _ . “I’m not letting you leave this room until you tell me why you disappeared.”

Continually rocking his hips into Jihoon’s, the other really doesn’t understand how Soonyoung could even try to hold a conversation like this. Unless Jihoon is imagining the blunt object that ever so gently occasionally brushes across his cock, he’s fairly certain Soonyoung is hard as well. 

It’s not even technically a lap-dance. It’s just grinding. But… Jihoon supposes Soonyoung doesn’t feel as if he has to put on the works for Jihoon. 

Though, Jihoon secretly wishes he would. 

“Soonyoung,” Jihoon croaks, trying to hide his so obvious arousal. This was  _ not  _ the time. “I can’t tell you that.”

“Are you involved in the mafia or something? Because, nobody else has that kind of cash to throw around,” Soonyoung teases turning around in Jihoon’s lap so his back is to the other. He continues rocking his hips along to the beat. The bunny tail is confirmed, and once again, Jihoon is given the opportunity to stare at Soonyoung’s ass. He  _ desperately  _ wants to touch, but he restrains himself. 

“Trust me, Soonyoung,” Jihoon swallows thickly, restraining himself from bucking his own hips. “If I could tell you, I would. God… I  _ really  _ do want to spill everything to you, but I just… can’t.”

After a moment, Soonyoung turns back around. The song moves on to the next one. It’s still just as intimate as the last. 

“Alright,” Soonyoung eventually mutters. Jihoon notices how his face is only centimeters away and how  _ his lips are so pretty _ . “I’m just glad you’re alive…”

To Jihoon’s surprise, Soonyoung grabs his hands that he has been dutifully keeping at his side this entire time and places them on his hips. 

“You can touch, by the way,” he claims, voice dripping with a sentiment Jihoon can’t quite recognize.

“What time do you get off work?” Jihoon returns, glancing at Soonyoung’s lips. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have a trademark on cliffhangers im so sorry you guys


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everybody please let me know how you feel about this chapter, because i'm not entirely sure how i feel about it myself.

“Are you sure about this guy?” Wonwoo asks, locking the front doors for the night. It’s uncannily silent. Being in the deserted club was the oddest feeling. Normally, Soonyoung can’t even hear himself think when the club is overflooded with customers. 

“What are you talking about?” Soonyoung feigns ignorance, sitting on the edge of the stage with his legs dangling. He glances down at his scuffed, dirty, and ragged white Converse. They’re substantially less expensive than the series of stilettos he wears during work, but at least they aren’t so bloody uncomfortable. In fact, Soonyoung seriously thinks he might have a blister on his heel. 

Wonwoo turns his neck, slightly grimacing and directing an incredulous expression at Soonyoung who knows  _ exactly  _ what Wonwoo means. Rolling his eyes, Wonwoo moves on to counting the cash at the bar. Soonyoung just stares blankly as the other pulls out a wad of cash from the register. 

All that money could probably pay Soonyoung’s rent for 2 months. 

“I’m just saying,” Wonwoo continues, not looking at Soonyoung as he dutifully sorts through all the bills. The colored lights are still on, and Soonyoung can’t help but think how interesting Wonwoo looks when he’s blue. “Just because you knew this guy before, doesn’t mean that you know him now. He could be a completely different person.”

This is exactly what Soonyoung doesn’t even want to consider. If Jihoon really was a completely different person now, then that would mean the Jihoon that he knew was dead… even if only metaphorically. 

For some reason, that would hurt even more. 

A siren goes by as they both stay deafeningly silent.

“You know...” Soonyoung mumbles, as if thinking out loud. Wonwoo stops his deliberations and glances up at the other. “When we were kids, not many of our classmates liked Jihoon. Not because he was a bad person or a jerk or anything. But… more because he was always so damn shy and reserved. Everybody thought he was cold.”

When Soonyoung glances at Wonwoo, he notices the other is staring adamantly at the other. 

“When I was about 8 years old, my dad was arrested,” Soonyoung continues, playing with the strings on his hoodie. “He served a 2-year sentence. Kids at school wouldn’t talk to me, because their mothers told them not to. I was marked as a common criminal, just because of my dad’s actions… The only person who would speak to me is Jihoon.”

Momentarily, Soonyoung looks down to check his watch. 3:12 a.m… Jihoon should be here at any moment. 

“He’s not what he seems to other people,” he finalizes, gathering his backpack and winter coat. Eventually, Soonyoung catches Wonwoo’s eyes with a determined look. “If I don’t know Jihoon, then I don’t know anybody.”

Soonyoung peeks outside of one of the heavy, steel front doors. Sure enough, there’s a black SUV parked with completely tinted windows in the parking lot. It’s the only car besides Wonwoo’s Kia. 

Though Soonyoung’s sure he knows who Jihoon is at heart, he’s still not quite so sure what Jihoon has been doing for all these years. 

“Goodnight, Wonwoo.”

 

****

 

Soonyoung knocks on the passenger window of the SUV. Immediately, it rolls down, and Soonyoung breaks into a wide grin when he sees Jihoon leaning over the console with his usual gentle smile. 

It reminds Soonyoung of daydreams he would constantly have in high school. As usual, he would get into a fight with his parents, but this time, Jihoon would pull up to his house in a shitty car he spent roughly 500 dollars on. As they would drive to go get shitty junk food from an all-night diner, Jihoon would just listen as Soonyoung goes on a rant about how shitty it is of his father to assume he could pass on his mafia debt to him. 

In Soonyoung’s daydream, he doesn’t go home. He and Jihoon just drive off and go as far away a quarter full tank of gas will take them. 

“Thank god, you’re wearing clothes,” Jihoon jokes, gesturing at Soonyoung’s hoodie and sweatpants. He unlocks the doors for the other. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Soonyoung retorts right back, getting in the car and setting his backpack down on the floor of the passenger seat. As he puts on his seat belt, he can’t help but notice how  _ expensive  _ Jihoon’s vehicle seems. It’s something he might see one of the Jeons’ driving. 

Jihoon sticks out his tongue at Soonyoung, putting the car into gear. 

“It’s freezing outside,” he scolds like someone’s mother might. “If you came outside in your underwear, I would be very concerned.”

At that, Soonyoung laughs heartily. It’s music to Jihoon’s ears. For the past few years, it’s all he’s ever wanted to hear. 

“Strippers are allowed to wear street clothes, you know,” Soonyoung teases, reaching over the console to poke Jihoon in his side. Before he can even make contact, Jihoon instinctually flinches away. Soonyoung has to fight off a frown.

_ Does Jihoon maybe not Soonyoung touching him because of the stripper-thing?  _

Immediately, Soonyoung shakes away the thought. Jihoon wouldn’t have offered to spend time together if that was the case. Besides… Jihoon was always weird about touching. 

“I know that,” Jihoon instantly recovers, clearing his throat awkwardly and keeping his eyes firmly locked on the road. “I just wasn’t sure whether you had a spare change of clothes.”

Momentarily, Jihoon glances at him. 

“I think you look better like this anyway,” he mutters.

“Most of my customers would definitely disagree with you” the other claims, fiddling with the air vents. 

“Of course, they would. They’re perverts.”

“And you’re not?” Soonyoung asks playfully, turning up the radio slightly. It’s playing the same R&B song that was playing earlier when they were alone. Jihoon’s ears go pink. “Because if I recall, you seemed pretty into that private dance. Or, at least your dick was.”

At the brazen comment, Jihoon begins coughing loudly Soonyoung thinks he may be choking on his own spit. 

“Well, I-I mean,” Jihoon tries to speak, but it’s mostly coming out in stutters. Jihoon’s face is bright pink. It’s such a stark contrast to his expensive clothes and car. Soonyoung isn’t sure what Jihoon is doing these days, but he’s sure that this isn’t a side people see of him often. “You’re a very attractive man, and you were _literally_ _sitting in my lap_. _You were wearing fucking panties._ ”

“Then, why do you like my street clothes better?” 

“You seem more comfortable,” the other man shrugs, pulling into the parking lot of an all-night fast food restaurant. It’s not the diner Soonyoung always dreamed it would be, but it’s pretty damn close. This whole experience is starting to feel like a dream to him. 

Soonyoung turns to Jihoon and quirks his eyebrow. 

“We’re eating?” 

As he opens the car door, Jihoon freezes, twisting his head to give Soonyoung the same puzzled expression. 

“What else would we be doing?” 

“For some reason, I thought we were going back to your place,” Soonyoung explains. Jihoon still looks confused. Soonyoung further clarifies. “To  _ finish that dance. _ ”

Comically, Jihoon’s eyes go saucer wide, and he swallows nervously. 

“Wouldn’t it be presumptuous of me to assume that you and I were going to do  _ that _ ?”

Jihoon’s expression is one that Soonyoung faintly recognizes. He seems like a flustered schoolboy which just makes Soonyoung want to laugh. The guy is too embarrassed to even say the word  _ sex _ . Despite the car, the clothes, and the money, Jihoon is still the same shy kid he used to know. It’s very endearing. 

“Yeah… I guess that would have been presumptuous of you.”

 

****

 

“So, where the fuck have you been, Jihoon?” Soonyoung asks yet again, and probably not for the last time. Jihoon just scowls and shakes his head as he takes his seat across from Soonyoung and sets down their tray. Soonyoung knows he probably shouldn’t eat all this junk food, because his boss will be very unhappy if he starts gaining weight. 

But, he’s going to anyway. 

Because, he’s alone with Jihoon now. He’s slipped into another reality where he isn’t a stripper. Rather, he’s just another young dumb 22-year-old hanging out with his equally young and dumb friend. 

“I  _ really  _ can’t tell you that,” Jihoon insists yet again, picking the onions off his burger… just like Soonyoung expects him to. He supposes some things really don’t change. “I’m not trying to be mysterious or some shit. It’s just for your own personal safety that you have no idea.”

“Oh my god,” Soonyoung murmurs in a hushed whisper, staring at Jihoon with wide eyes. “You are a part of the mafia, aren’t you?” 

Jihoon’s eyes glaze over. He simply doesn’t answer. 

And, honestly? There was no point for Soonyoung to keep pressing him about it. By the way Jihoon has steeled his face, Soonyoung knows he’s not going to get an answer out of the other. 

He’s starting to think he doesn’t really want an answer anyway. 

Knowing what activities Jihoon’s been up to, may ruin the illusion of having his best friend. 

So, Soonyoung drops the question. All that matters is that Jihoon is alive. 

A couple of rowdy and drunk college students enter the restaurant, interrupting the silence between them.

“What about you?” Jihoon eventually asks, trying to keep the conversation going. “I never expected to find you in a strip club of all places.”

“Well.. as you can see, I’m much more grown than I was 8 years ago,” Soonyoung pokes fun at the other, making Jihoon blush a little bit. Soonyoung is  _ sure _ that the other is thinking about their encounter just a few hours ago. “Actually… I’m helping to pay off my father’s debts to the Jeons. I really don’t care for stripping, but apparently, I’m good at it… At least, it’s better than peddling drugs for them or being a security guard or something. I don’t think I could ever shoot somebody.”

When Soonyoung glances up from his meal, Jihoon is staring at him, looking almost annoyed. 

“Did your dad set up this arrangement with the Jeons?” he asks in disgust. Soonyoung doesn’t know this, but Jihoon’s stomach is turning at the idea that the mafia is taking advantage of Soonyoung’s situation this way. 

“Not exactly,” Soonyoung quickly clarifies. “Dad has no clue exactly  _ what  _ I’m doing. He just suggested that I should work for the Jeons to help pay off his debts, so we could keep the house. It was actually some of the Jeons’ idea that I work at Honey’s. I told them that I only really know about dance, and I didn’t want to have to hurt anybody. Now… I’m their most highly demanded dancer.” 

“So, if your father’s debts were paid off, you wouldn’t strip anymore?”

“That would never happen,” Soonyoung scoffs, shoving fries into his mouth. “My dad doesn’t care about anybody but himself. He’ll keep gambling all of his and my money away to the Jeons until the day he dies.”

Jihoon’s annoyed expression softens, as he places one of his hands on Soonyoung’s. He opens his mouth to say something but is interrupted by one of the drunk college students as they freeze in front of the two’s booth. 

“Hey!” one of them shouts, obviously trying to keep both of his feet on the ground and not to fall on his ass. “I know you! You work at Honey’s!” 

Instantly, Soonyoung’s demeanor changes, and he seems to be on the defense. This does not slip past Jihoon’s notice. The other is obviously uncomfortable, especially with how one of the men is so obviously leering at him. He’s about to tell them both to fuck off, but they both cut him off yet again. 

“So, do you perform  _ other services?”  _ one of them slurs, leaning  _ dangerously  _ close to Soonyoung who just refuses to look at him. It takes all of Jihoon’s restraint to not clock the guy in the jaw right there. 

“ _ I’m not a prostitute _ ,” Soonyoung hisses, sliding down to the end of the booth and obviously trying to get away from the guy. “Please go away.”

Neither of them listens to him, though.

“Does it matter? You’re obviously a whore.”

With that, Jihoon breaks. He can’t watch this any longer. 

“He asked you to go away,” Jihoon deadpans in low voice, glaring at the both of them. They glare back. 

“Butt out, you stupid dick,” one of them hiccups. 

Instead of responding, Jihoon inconspicuously moves his jacket slightly to reveal the gun in his waistband to the two men. Soonyoung doesn’t see the weapon, but he does see the way the men’s eyes go wide with fear

“I suggest both of you fuck off now,” he says with sickly sweet politeness. It almost has Soonyoung’s head reeling. This is  _ not _ the shy Jihoon that he was speaking to in the car. 

Reeling back, both of them quickly stumble away, practically running out of the restaurant. 

Soonyoung isn’t sure what they saw underneath the table, and he’s not sure if he wants to know.

 

*****

 

“Is this it?” Jihoon asks, pulling up to Soonyoung’s apartment complex to drop him off for the night.

“Yeah,” Soonyoung mumbles tiredly. 

Jihoon puts the car in park, and they both sit silently for a moment. 

“I missed you so much, Jihoon,” Soonyoung sighs, reaching over the console to brush Jihoon’s hair away from his face. This time the other doesn’t flinch away. 

“I missed you too,” the other speaks gently, leaning into Soonyoung’s touch. “You have no idea what life has been like without you.”

“Is it shit?” Soonyoung chuckles. 

“It really _really_ is.”

Noticing the limited space between them, Soonyoung inches closer, placing a fleeting kiss at the corner of Jihoon’s mouth. 

“Then, don’t disappear on me again, asshole.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> smut is coming soon i swear!!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this chapter, we get into a little bit more uhhh grittier subjects since it is after all a mafia au. if u dont like the reality of organized crime, probably shouldnt read.

“The doorman told me you came home pretty late last night.”

Jihoon barely even has time to close Seungcheol’s apartment door before the other addresses him. Nonchalantly, Seungcheol lounges on his leather couch, reading the newspaper with his feet kicked up on the coffee table. 

“First of all,” Jihoon interjects, looming over a relaxed Seungcheol with one hand in the pocket of his slacks. “Who reads newspapers anymore?”

“People who want to know who’s been busted with drugs,” Seungcheol hums. “I drove past that casino the Jeons own and saw two of Jeons’ men having what seemed like a friendly conversation with two cops in the parking lot.”

“So?” Jihoon scoffs with an eyebrow quirked. Even 8 years later, he still doesn’t have such a keen sense for crime as Seungcheol does. The other could probably rob the president of Korea and still get away with.

“So,” the other continues, throwing the newspaper down on the coffee table. “There’s not even a paragraph about any drug busts in the area. And, I know for fact the Jeons were moving about 50 kilos last night.”

Expectantly, Jihoon stares at Seungcheol still not connecting the dots.

“ _ Which means the Jeons probably have a good chunk of the police department in their pocket _ ,” Seungcheol hisses.

“Well, that can’t be good,” Jihoon instantly deadpans, lighting a cigarette. Seungcheol scowls at him.

“How many times have I fucking told you not to smoke in my apartment?” 

“Too many fucking times,” Jihoon rolls his eyes, blowing smoke in Seungcheol’s direction just to piss him off. It’s not because he’s bitter towards Seungcheol. Rather, he’s annoyed at the thought of the Jeons. After his conversation with Soonyoung last night, he’s decided he’d like to do nothing more than burn the Jeons’ empire to the ground. “So I suppose it’s time to go pay a visit to our friend at the police department then?” 

“I guess fucking so.”

 

*****

 

When Jihoon first met Chan, he really didn’t care for the kid. Like every other rookie cop since the beginning, he thought he was going to solve all of Seoul’s problems. He’d do away with the organized crime that plagues the city, especially the Lees (the most volatile of the mafia families) and the Jeons (the biggest drug lords of the mafia families).

But, like every other cop in the city, Chan has his own price. 

Everybody has their own price, Jihoon has discovered… and that price is not always monetary. 

Which is why Jihoon and Seungcheol are currently sitting in a bar that smells like piss and vomit. 

“You couldn’t have picked a _nicer_ place for us to meet?” Chan hisses, scowling as he takes a seat next to the other two at the bar. They’ve both been nursing a couple of drinks while they waited for the guy. The bartender comes over and takes Chan’s order. 

“This is the only place in Seoul that’s unclaimed territory,” Seungcheol mumbles, taking a sip of his drink. He’s cautious not to turn his head and make eye contact with Chan. It’s impossible to tell who may be watching at any given moment. 

The bartender comes back with a beer. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Jihoon can see Chan wrinkle his nose in disgust as an unknown man to his right burps and gags a little bit as if he’s about to vomit. Thankfully, he doesn’t.

But, Jihoon doesn’t let Chan’s reaction go unnoticed.   


“Can’t handle a little bit of vomit, officer?” Jihoon condescends, lifting his glass up to take a swig. He doesn’t look at Chan either. Rather, he watches the television above the bar. By its wood-paneling, it’s obviously an ancient relic. “Surely, you’ve seen worse. I hear they’ve got you on the violent crimes unit.”

Chan watches Jihoon carefully, much like a mouse watches a nearby cat. When he was a kid, he thought a police badge would protect him from having to fear guys like Lee Jihoon and Choi Seungcheol, but instead, it just put an even larger target on his back. 

Warily, he studies the way the dim lighting glints off of Jihoon’s watch. His eye travels to the multiple rings Jihoon has on his fingers, then up to his arm and shoulder to the golden piercings in his right ear… and to the gold chain that connects those piercings 

His stomach turns because he knows everything Jihoon owns has been bought in someone else’s blood.

“I was the first officer on the scene on one of your little messes last week,” he spits, glaring at the other. Jihoon notices, but he doesn’t particularly care. A lot of people hate him these days. If he took the effort to care about every single one of them, it would eat him whole. “The perpetrator left an illegal firearm at the scene. A lot of boys in the unit is pretty sure it was one of yours.”

Seungcheol looks observantly at the two on each side of him. This is why he always sits in the middle, because Chan would probably take the first chance to punch Jihoon. 

As always, Jihoon doesn’t particularly look like he cares. Seungcheol remembers how Jihoon would cry after every job when he first met the kid. Now… he can’t help but wonder if the Lees created a monster of their own. 

“You think you’re so much better than me, don’t you?” Jihoon drawls, uncharacteristically calmly. It’s almost frightening. “You think you have the moral high road? Well, let me tell you something, Mr. Boy Scout. You and every officer are knees deep in the shit just like I am.”

Chan sits in bitter yet dumbfounded silence.

“I don’t do this, because I want to. I have my reasons,” Jihoon continues, chugging down the rest of his drink and slamming the glass down on the bar top. He breaks the rule of caution and stealth, turning directly towards Chan. The other isn’t sure what he sees in Jihoon’s eyes, but it’s unbelievably cold. At that moment, he isn’t sure if Jihoon is actually human or not. “You are just as selfish as I am. You’ve willingly involved yourself with us, and for what reason? Revenge with on the Jeons. Like everyone else in this shit city, you are no saint.”

It’s not actually silent due to the typical bar noise, but it might as well be. When Seungcheol glances at Chan, he looks as if he might lunge at Jihoon at any moment. Meanwhile, Jihoon still doesn’t look like he gives a shit, but he’s steeled himself for the possibility of a physical confrontation. 

Seungcheol coughs uncomfortably. 

“Gentlemen,” he interjects, firmly establishing his presence between the two. “We didn’t come here for this. I don’t know about you assholes, but I want to get the fuck out of this shithole as soon as possible.”

Chan grumbles something under his breath, taking a huge gulp of his beer. 

“So, I suppose you’ve finally realized the Jeons have practically bought out the police,” he mumbles, pretending to watch the soccer game on the TV so he doesn’t have to look at Jihoon. “How did you finally figure it out?” 

Jihoon lights a cigarette, ignoring the grimace Seungcheol directs towards him. 

“I saw some of your boys talking to some of Jeons’ boys… the boys who like to sell a certain narcotic,” Seungcheol explains. Jihoon notices how Chan tenses at the inference of the Jeons’ drug dealing activity. 

_ He’s so easy to read,  _ he thinks, taking an especially long drag of his cigarette.  _ Pathetic _ . 

“Unless Jeons’ boys are in your custody, I’m guessing that every cop in the city is just a glorified security guard for the Jeons now,” Jihoon comments. 

“There hasn’t been a Jeon in custody for at least 6 months now,” Chan retorts viciously, still hateful towards Jihoon. “If you weren’t so busy supplying guns and blowing up buildings, you would know this. You are the most arrogant motherfucker I’ve ever met.”

“Then, you obviously haven’t met Mr. Lee himself,” Jihoon mumbles as an afterthought. Seungcheol glances at Jihoon knowingly. 

“Nobody on the force has seen the head of the Lee family in nearly 10 years. We’re pretty sure he’s dead at this point,” Chan points out. 

Then, much to Chan’s surprise, Jihoon lets out a wry, dry chuckle. It’s not a real laugh, but Chan has never seen Jihoon smile much less laugh. At that moment, it occurs to him that if you dig past all the shit on the surface, Jihoon might actually be human. 

“I wish he was dead,” he rasps. Finally, Jihoon stands up from his barstool, leaving cash for his and Seungcheol’s drinks as well as a generous tip. 

“That’s all we needed,” Seungcheol says, following Jihoon’s suit. 

As they walk away, Jihoon leans over Chan’s shoulder. 

“Don’t ever forget that you need us. Not the other way around,” Jihoon hisses his ear lowly. It sends chills down Chan’s spine. “We can let your superiors know that you’ve been our informant at any time. Do you have any idea what the Jeons do to traitors? Your buddies at the station will throw you to the wolves without hesitation to save their own asses. Don’t ever fuck with me, Lee Chan.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so we started talking about sequencing scenes in one of my film classes so im sort of playing around with my writing style to see if i can do the same thing with writing. so if it seems a little different that's why. 
> 
> your smut is finally here!!
> 
> i hope everybody is enjoying this au! as always, please leave comments and feedback.

“I need to talk to you.”

Soonyoung is putting the last of his things in his backpack when Wonwoo walks in. It’s about midnight, because Soonyoung practically begged the owners to not make him close yet again. The graveyard shift was the most exhausting one, especially since more disorderly clients came in later in the evening. 

“I’m not staying later, Wonwoo,” Soonyoung says firmly, slipping his sneakers on. “I’m going home to watch my shows, and you can’t do anything about it.” 

“That’s the problem,” Wonwoo sighs. Soonyoung glances up at him in confusion. The other pulls out his phone, showing a text conversation between him and one of the owners. 

 

Boss, 11:45 p.m.

_ Don’t let any of the dancers who live alone (especially Soonyoung) go home tonight.  _

 

Me, 11:47 p.m.

_ Why?? _

 

Boss, 11:50 p.m.

_ International trouble.  _

 

Like the exchange was written in Greek, Soonyoung squints and furrows his eyebrows in confusion. He hates when his bosses are cryptic. 

“What the fuck does  _ international trouble  _ mean _?”  _ he hisses without any real malice, handing the phone back to its rightful owner. Wonwoo promptly pockets his phone. 

“He wouldn’t elaborate, but I’m guessing the Jeons may be getting threats from their friends in Japan again,” the other explains.

It takes a minute to soak in for Soonyoung. The Jeons think  _ Soonyoung’s life might be in jeopardy _ . It’s moments like this that make Soonyoung resent his father for getting their family involved with low life criminals like the Jeons. 

“ _ Yakuza?” _ Soonyoung asks incredulously with wide eyes.

“Dunno… I’m just a glorified security guard,” the other shrugs. “Anyway… they think it’d be best if you spent the night at someone else’s house. So…”

“Are you suggesting I stay with you?”

Solemnly, Wonwoo nods his head. 

“I couldn’t,” Soonyoung murmurs softly. “I don’t want to impose on you and Mingyu.”

Wonwoo rolls his eyes.

“You could never impose on us.”

For a moment, thoughts roll around in Soonyoung’s head... He has been looking for another excuse to see Jihoon. 

“Don’t worry… I’ve got somebody I can call.”

 

****

 

Soonyoung stands out in the back alley as the phone rings. It’s terribly cold, but he can’t call from inside the club. Inside, it’s always much too loud to hold a conversation with someone in person, much less over the phone. 

After it rings for about 15 seconds, Soonyoung considers hanging up and going home with Wonwoo. Mingyu is a really nice guy if only a little bit like a jealous puppy when Soonyoung’s around. 

Maybe… it isn’t Soonyoung’s place to be calling Jihoon this late and asking for favors. The guy has only been back in his life for about a week. 

Maybe… Jihoon only spent time with Soonyoung, because he pities him. 

Maybe… Soonyoung is just another stripper to Jihoon. 

“Hello,” Jihoon finally answers, voice low and clear. Just hearing it sends jolts down Soonyoung’s spine. There’s a  _ deep desire _ inside of Soonyoung to hear that voice murmuring intimately in his ear. Usually, Soonyoung isn’t this affected by  _ any man _ , but he thinks if Jihoon commanded him to cum in his pants… he might. 

He’s not proud of it… but he might. 

“I’m so sorry,” Soonyoung apologizes, trying to mask the hint of arousal in his voice. He doesn’t even know if Jihoon is actually interested in him  _ like that _ . “Did I wake you?”

“No, not at all!” Jihoon responds quickly. Soonyoung imagines that shy way Jihoon gets flustered and frazzled sometimes and a wide grin slips across his face. “I was just in the shower.”

Audibly, Soonyoung has to suppress a groan. He didn’t need thoughts of  _ a wet, naked Jihoon _ . He definitely didn’t need to think about what  _ wet, naked Jihoon  _ would feel like against him. Oh.. and he  _ most definitely  _ didn’t need to think about what  _ wet, naked Jihoon’s _ muscles would feel against his skin as the other pins him against a wall. 

Soonyoung glances down. 

He’s half-hard. 

“Oh geez,” he mutters under his breath, rubbing his eye with his free hand. 

“I’m sorry what’d you say?” 

“Nothing!” Soonyoung feels his face growing heated. Maybe… he’d be making life just more difficult for himself if he stayed with Jihoon tonight. Before that thought can travel completely develop, he blurts out, “Can I ask you for a favor?”

 

****

 

Silently, Soonyoung waits by the front door with the two bouncers outside. They make polite small talk with him, and he doesn’t mind it so much. Most of the customers going in and coming out won’t even look Soonyoung’s way, since he’s now dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie. 

That’s exactly how he likes it, though.

Finally, that black SUV pulls into the parking lot, and Soonyoung feels his heart swell. If he went on many dates in high school, he assumes this is what it would’ve felt like when they finally pulled up to your house. 

With an uncharacteristic bounce in his step, he immediately takes off towards the vehicle.

“Goodnight, guys,” he shouts to the two bouncers behind him as he bounds away. They both wave him off. 

As Soonyoung approaches the car, Jihoon rolls down the passenger side window, grinning stupidly at the other. 

“So they’re fumigating your apartment, huh?” he asks, unlocking the passenger door. A bit of guilt wells up in Soonyoung’s gut for lying to the other… but he didn’t want Jihoon to worry. It  _ really _ wasn’t a big deal. 

“Yeah,” he replies, climbing inside the vehicle. “They didn’t call me to tell me until 10. Isn’t that so weird?”

Jihoon opens his mouth as if he’s about to say something then closes it. Soonyoung doesn’t think he’s going to answer at all. 

“That is pretty weird.”

 

****

 

The entire ride to Jihoon’s apartment Soonyoung can’t stop glancing over at the other… letting his thoughts and fantasies run wildly. Frankly, he should feel more shame for his arousal, but somehow, it’s outweighed by the pure  _ want _ . 

Jihoon grew up to be  _ very _ attractive. 

And, from what Soonyoung has seen so far, Jihoon is still the same awkward, sweetheart he used to be… even if his appearance has changed. 

Soonyoung doesn’t think he’s ever wanted a man more in his entire life. 

He must’ve caught Jihoon in his downtime, because the other isn’t wearing a suit as he normally might. Rather, he’s wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. 

Slowly, Soonyoung follows the silhouette of Jihoon’s bicep down to his hands on the steering wheel. 

He wonders what kind of things those arms… those hands… those arms can do. 

His face immediately flushes a violent pink. He’s thankful the only light in the car is Jihoon’s stereo system and the flooding streetlights, otherwise Jihoon might be able to read him like a book. 

Nervously, he clears his throat. A song comes on the radio that Soonyoung recognizes. They play it often at the club. At this point, he doesn’t really care for it, but he finds that he doesn’t mind it so much when Jihoon leans over to turn it up. 

“You like this song?” Soonyoung murmurs lowly, staring at Jihoon intently. This does not escape Jihoon’s notice. Neither does the way Soonyoung has been staring at him like he wants to pounce him. 

“It’s not bad,” Jihoon hums nonchalantly, trying to keep his cool. Of course, he finds Soonyoung _very_ attractive, but he’s already decided that Soonyoung has to be the one who makes the first move. If he just went for it, he’d be no different than the men at the club that treat Soonyoung like an object. 

“Maybe, I’ll dance to it for you some time,” Soonyoung suggests coyly, leaning closely over the console… so close that Jihoon can feel the other’s breathe. Jihoon can feel the material around his crotch tighten as that sparks something inside of him. 

“Are you coming on to me, Kwon Soonyoung?” the other groans. 

“I don’t know… Do you want me to be?” 

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Jihoon shoots back sharply. He glances at Soonyoung momentarily, and the dark look in his eyes is very distinct. It’s what Soonyoung might characterize as the “behave yourself” look. 

Soonyoung is fully hard now. In fact, he can feel his cock dribbling precum in his boxers. 

He  _ swears  _ he’s never been this affected by another man before. 

So, he tells Jihoon so.

“I want you  _ so bad, _ ” Soonyoung admits, placing his hand on the other’s upper thigh. As they pass under traffic light, Soonyoung notices the significant bulge in the other’s pants. He teases his pinkie finger along the inseam, barely grazing the outline of the other’s cock. “I’ve never wanted someone as bad as I want you.”

They stop at a red light. Jihoon finally turns to make eye contact with Soonyoung. There’s an unmistakable haze of lust in his gaze. 

“You’re sure about this?” 

“Lee Jihoon… I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” Soonyoung purrs, moving his hand to palm at Jihoon’s cock through his sweatpants. He feels it twitch against his touch. “I want you to fuck my brains out.”

 

****

 

When Jihoon finally puts the car in park in the parking garage, he wastes no time leaning over the console and capturing Soonyoung’s lips with his. It’s not domineering, but rather… it’s oddly sweet… like how a teenager might kiss their sweetheart. 

Quickly, he grows addicted to that feeling. 

He grows addicted to Jihoon. 

He especially grows addicted to the way Jihoon trails his kisses from his lips to his jaw to the back of his ear to his pulse. 

At that point, they could probably have sex in the backseat of Jihoon’s car, and Soonyoung would totally be fine with that. If it were anyone else, Soonyoung might call that trashy. 

But, it’s not anybody else.

It’s Lee Jihoon… his Lee Jihoon. 

Before Soonyoung can get too into it, Jihoon pulls away, breathing heavily. Pupils dilated. In stark contrast to the few moments before, Jihoon seems sheepish and almost nervous. He wipes the saliva away from his lips with the back of his hand. 

“Should we go in?” he swallows thickly, staring at Soonyoung. 

“Yeah…” Soonyoung breathes. 

 

****

 

As they ride the elevator up, Soonyoung has an opportunity to stare out the window inside. When they arrived, he was aware that this was a very rich neighborhood, and it shows through the view. Soonyoung can’t imagine how much the rent on Jihoon’s apartment must cost. 

If he recalls correctly, this district is in Lee territory.

Soonyoung wonders how in the world Jihoon got here. 

He decides not to mention it, though. However Jihoon is affording his lifestyle, he’s not ready or willing to give that information up to Soonyoung. And, Soonyoung is perfectly fine with that. He’s living in his own fantasy world right now. 

Reality might just get in the way of that. 

When they arrive on Jihoon’s floor (the 20th floor), Jihoon digs his keys out of his pocket. Soonyoung glances down at the movement and notices that Jihoon is still incredibly hard. His own cock twitches in his sweatpants. 

Jihoon notices him staring and smirks smugly in his direction. Though, Soonyoung could unmistakably see how red his ears were. Jihoon has an odd way of being a fumbling wreck one minute and a confident motherfucker the next. 

“Like what you see?” he growls slightly and licks his lips, giving Soonyoung goosebumps. 

“I mean… I think it would look better in my mouth,” Soonyoung retorts brazenly and shamelessly like years of working at Honey’s have conditioned him to be. 

The change in Jihoon’s disposition is very obvious. His face instantly goes violently red, and he can’t even meet Soonyoung’s gaze anymore out of embarrassment. Quickly, he ducks his head, frantically unlocking his door. 

“You’re odd, Jihoon,” Soonyoung giggles a little bit, setting his backpack down on the tile floor as he follows Jihoon inside. Jihoon’s apartment is what Soonyoung might describe as a penthouse, and the only people he’s known capable of affording a place like this were Jeons. 

“What do you mean?” Jihoon scrunches his face quizzically, tossing his keys onto the coffee table. Soonyoung thinks its so cute. He can’t help himself from wrapping his arms around the back of Jihoon’s neck, minimizing the distance between them. 

“It’s like you have this persona…” Soonyoung hums softly. He searches Jihoon’s face and finds nothing but captivation there… like he can’t believe Soonyoung was really able to see through him. “You’ve got money. You’ve got charisma. You’re intimidating… I think you’ve constructed a suave personality for the outside world… but… I don’t think that’s who you really are.”

“Then, who am I?” Jihoon asks breathlessly, unable to look away from the other. Even nearly a decade later, Soonyoung still  _ knows  _ Jihoon at the very core. 

“You’re Lee Jihoon,” Soonyoung answers simply, inching closer to Jihoon’s face. “You’re my nerdy and shy best friend who gets flustered easily. I never expected you to come back to me at all, much less as the same person.”

“I don’t think I’m exactly who you think I am,” the other confesses, brushing thumb up and down the soft flesh of Soonyoung’s waist as he holds on to the other. There’s a bit of him that’s deep in fear –  deep in fear that Soonyoung may actually find out the things he’s done and hate him for it. 

Hate him as much as he hates himself. 

“Maybe not…” Soonyoung agrees. “But, I like the parts I’ve seen so far.”

 

*****

 

Tenderly, Jihoon herds Soonyoung towards the bed, until his the back of his knees hit against it. Jihoon’s kiss is consuming in nature. Soonyoung’s cock  _ throbs _ in his sweats as Jihoon straddles him on the bed, brushing their cocks together. It’s all very gentle yet intense. 

Jihoon doesn’t ever try to exert any more power than appropriate. 

Through all of Jihoon’s touches, Soonyoung can  _ feel  _ how much the other wants him, and that’s enough to make him weak at the knees. 

“I want to blow you,” Soonyoung whimpers, pulling at the elastic band of Jihoon’s sweats. Jihoon groans, moving forward on the band so he’s relaxed against the pillows at the headboard. Without hesitation, Soonyoung follows, pulling Jihoon’s sweats and boxers down. When the air hits his cock, Jihoon shivers a little bit. Soonyoung looms in between his legs, stroking him slowly and almost tortuously. 

Moaning, Jihoon’s head tilts back, hitting the headboard with a soft thud. For a moment, he screws his eyes shut in pleasure. 

“You’re gonna wanna watch this,” Soonyoung purrs lowly, lapping away the precum beading at the head of the other’s cock with his tongue. And, Jihoon does. He opens his eyes, staring at the other in adoration. Lovingly, he cards his fingers through Soonyoung’s hair. 

“Seriously… you became so pretty…” he murmurs under his breath. Soonyoung’s not even sure if he was meant to hear it. 

“You’re not so bad yourself, Hoonie,” Soonyoung remarks. Before Jihoon can respond, Soonyoung takes him into his hot, wet mouth. He begins moving his head up and down, causing Jihoon to lose any train of thought he ever had. Slightly, his fingers tighten in Soonyoung’s hair, but it’s not very noticeable. 

After a few moments, Jihoon cums in his mouth. 

He swallows it.

 

****

 

“Do you like that?” Jihoon growls, as he vigorously and aggressively fucks the other with his fingers. As he continuously strokes against Soonyoung’s prostate with both of his fingers, Soonyoung can barely even form a coherent thought. He’s no stranger to being fingered, but this was on a whole different level. 

Jihoon could just do this for a few more minutes, and he would cum. 

“Yes! Jihoon!” he whimpers loudly, almost unable to take it much longer. Jihoon is hovering over him as Soonyoung falls apart beneath him. And, he relishes in it. There’s a selfish part of him that wants to be the pinnacle of pleasure for Soonyoung. 

He wants to pleasure Soonyoung like no one has before. 

“I’m gonna cum!” Soonyoung whines, arching his back into Jihoon’s touch. At this point, his entire body was under Jihoon’s control. 

“Go ahead, baby boy.” 

So, he does.

 

****

 

Silently, they sit on Jihoon’s couch. Soonyoung’s now wearing Jihoon’s t-shirt, because he made a mess of his. He didn’t bother to put on pants. 

They’re watching reruns of Sailor Moon on one of the kid’s channels. 

“Thanks for coming back to me, Jihoon.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and now we go into more plot!! 
> 
> p.s. i know my smut last chapter was uhhh super short lived and choppy, but i didn't want to dive into them having fullblown sex yet, because I sort of want to reserve that for when they fully trust and understand each other (and realize that they actually love each other)
> 
> anyway, please enjoy this chapter! it goes a bit more into the lee family and jihoon's involvement with them.

Soonyoung wakes up in a daze. He glances around, almost forgetting that he spent the evening with Jihoon last night. Skyline lights flood in through the window of Jihoon’s apartment, practically painting Jihoon’s face golden. For a moment, Soonyoung just watches in adoration. 

In the background, an infomercial plays on the TV. 

Still in a haze, Soonyoung leans over just a little bit, leaving a fleeting kiss on the corner of Jihoon’s lips. His eyelids twitch a little bit but don’t open. 

So, Soonyoung leaves Jihoon to sleep. 

He gets up from the couch to get a glass of water. 

As he’s getting a glass from Jihoon’s cabinet, he hears a buzz. 

“Is that my phone?” he mutters under his breath. 

For a moment, he stumbles around in the darkness, listening for another buzz. Eventually, he finds the phone charging face down on one of the kitchen counters, but it isn’t his. 

Upon realizing it’s Jihoon’s phone, Soonyoung immediately sets it back down. 

He  _ knows  _ he shouldn’t pry. He would be  _ very _ upset with Jihoon if he looked at his phone without permission. 

He  _ knows  _ he shouldn’t pry, but… who could possibly be texting Jihoon at this hour?

Maybe… Soonyoung isn’t so special after all. Maybe… he’s just another in a long line of “hoes.”

Buzz.

As he snatches it from its peaceful spot on the counter, Jihoon snorts loudly from the other room. Soonyoung instantly freezes, turning his head.

Jihoon turned over on his other side, but he seems to be still deeply asleep. 

With guilt and shame swelling up in his throat, Soonyoung looks at Jihoon’s lockscreen. 

It’s 4:13 a.m. 

Jihoon receives another text from a guy named Seungcheol. 

_ We gotta nip this in the bud _ , it says. 

Soonyoung’s heart is racing wildly. What could  _ this  _ possibly be?

He scrolls down a little bit to the text before it.

It’s a screenshot of a news article. The headline reads  _ $250,000 of Illegal Contraband Confiscated By Police in Raid of Lee Syndicate.  _

Quickly, Soonyoung sets the phone back down, looking back to Jihoon’s serene sleeping face. 

“Who are you, Lee Jihoon?” he mumbles under his breath.

Silently, Soonyoung picks up his own phone near Jihoon’s and crosses Jihoon’s apartment. As quietly as possible, he steps out into the hallway. It’s completely abandoned but incredibly well-lit… like a 5-star hotel. Even with his socks on, the marble floor feels impossibly cold against the soles of his feet. 

He dials Wonwoo, leaning against Jihoon’s apartment door as he waits for the other to answer. Luckily for him, Wonwoo is often awake.

“Hello?" the familiar voice answers. Soonyoung can hear the radio playing in the background. 

“Just leaving Honey’s?”

“Yeah,” a pause. “Why did you call?”

“I was just wondering…” Soonyoung trails, almost thinking out loud.  _ Would Wonwoo know anything about the Lees?  _  “Can you pick me up? I have some questions...”

 

*****

 

“How was your evening with Mr. Boy-Toy?” 

It’s the first thing Wonwoo asks him as he gets inside the other’s vehicle. Silently, Wonwoo studies Soonyoung’s face and visible skin. 

_ Probably for bruises _ , Soonyoung thinks. 

“It was fine,” Soonyoung rolls his eyes as he buckles in his seatbelt. “He was pretty much a perfect gentleman.”

He pauses for a moment. Wonwoo is staring at him intently, but he can only stare at his shoes.

“Which is why I’m a little bit confused about something I saw…” he mumbles, fidgeting nervously with the material of his seatbelt. He turns to Wonwoo to finally make eye contact. “Can we go get breakfast”

“Of course, buddy,” the other responds gently, shifting the car’s gears into drive.

 

*****

 

“Thank you,” Soonyoung tells the young waitress as she brings back his eggs and toast. He’s honestly not very hungry, but Wonwoo insisted on buying him something to eat. Blankly, he stares at his meal, unsure what questions he should ask first. 

“So…” Wonwoo finally says, taking a sip of his coffee. Since it was only 5 o’clock in the morning, they were the only patrons in the diner. When he speaks, his voice pierces the hazy morning atmosphere, almost as if he’s not meant to be there at all. “What did you see?”

Pushing his eggs around on his plate, Soonyoung mulls it over in his head. 

Instead of answering, he sheepishly asks, “What do you know about the Lees?”

Wonwoo’s tensely silent for a moment, setting his mug down so he can give Soonyoung his full attention. Deeply exhaling, he runs his fingers through his hair, pushing it back slightly. Soonyoung thinks it’s a good look with his tan turtleneck and suede coat. 

“Is  _ he _ involved with the Lees?” 

“Please just answer the question, Wonwoo,” Soonyoung snaps impatiently. He feels like this entire situation is tugging his heart in several different directions. 

And suddenly, Wonwoo’s demeanor becomes very solemn. It’s the Wonwoo that Soonyoung sees when he’s on duty, rather than the one that in his close friend. 

It’s the Wonwoo that was raised to be a mafia thug.

“The Lees are possibly the most ruthless and aggressive mafia family in Seoul,” he briefs with no particular infliction, stirring another sugar cube into his coffee. “They mainly distribute illegal firearms and explosives to anyone who’s willing to pay a high enough price. They made themselves notorious for harassment, blackmail, and extortion of citizens, politicians, military, you name it. There is nothing the Lees won’t do to get what they want.”

As Wonwoo speaks, Soonyoung can feel his stomach physically turning. He pushing away his meal, because he feels too nauseous to eat.  _ Does Jihoon do all these awful things to other people? _

Suddenly, Wonwoo’s demeanor switches back, and he seems to have lulled into a gentle depression.

“I remember when I was about 10-years-old, a couple of Lee’s men were burning down the houses of various people involved with my family, because we were supposedly ‘encroaching’ on their territory,” Wonwoo reminiscences sadly. There are unshed tears in his eyes. In his 4 years of knowing him, Soonyoung has never seen Wonwoo cry. “The Head of the Lee family ordered his men to ignite the houses even if there were people inside. He’s a goddamn fucking selfish sadist. He probably treats his own men like absolute shit.”

“Do they still do things like that?” Soonyoung whimpers softly, afraid for Jihoon’s soul. He doesn’t know if the object of his adoration is gonna be redeemable… even in his eyes. 

Wonwoo takes a sip of his coffee. 

“Not really,” he answers bluntly, smacking his lips at the bitterness of his black coffee. “I don’t think Lee has been very active recently. Even if he’s still steering the ship, he has a very loose grip on it. In fact, the Lee family is so weak right now that there have been more arrests of Lee’s men than ever before.”

_ That explains the article _ , Soonyoung thinks, nodding in his head as he tries to process all this information. 

“Actually…” Wonwoo leans over the table closely, speaking in a hushed whisper. He glances around the room. Though, it nobody important is there to hear. This diner is in Jeon territory, and both of the waitresses are too busy looking at their phones to pay attention to them. “There’s a rumour that Lee has a son… a bastard. We think his son may be in control at this point. Currently, we’re looking into this guy’s identity. Some boys at the top want to cut off the head of the snake before it becomes strong again.” 

Soonyoung’s heart is beating wildly in his chest. He  _ knows _ Jihoon never knew who his father was, but this was such a  _ leap.  _ For all Soonyoung knows, Jihoon’s biological father could be any drug-addict, alcoholic bum like most absent dads in Jeon territory. 

“By ‘cut off the head of the snake,’ you mean?” Soonyoung gulps nervously. 

“Kill him,” Wonwoo states bluntly, driving his steak knife into the wooden table to punctuate his point. “They’ll kill him.”

**Author's Note:**

> if u leave kudos/comments, i'll be very inclined to write some uhhhh stripper ksy smut. which i know you all want.


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